Strategic or strategic? Reaffirmation of socialist planning on the case of Belgrade

Abstract

Abstract: This paper examines the understanding of the term ‘strategic’ in planning practice in the post-socialist country Serbia. This is a context, which is characterized by the EU integration processes, transition to a market economy, but also strong path dependency. The first part will present a historical overview of transition from traditional rational planning model to more strategic planning approaches considering the main European and international influences. The second part focuses on a case study of General Urban Plan of Belgrade from 1972 and explores its strategic procedural elements. Here we analyse the plan preparation methodology in which some elements of deliberation are rarely considered as a binding component of the rational approach to planning in its purest sense. Finally, this paper discusses the commonalities and differences within General Urban Plan from 1972, contemporary city-level general urban planning documents in Belgrade and novel strategies of integrated urban development. The main aim of this paper is to re-evaluate the socialist legacy in relation to the use of different procedural elements of strategic planning in contemporary conditions.